I hate telling my friends and family what I do. This is how the conversation goes.

Friend: So what line of work are you in?

Me: I own a consulting business that offers digital marketing solutions for small businesses.

Friend: Um, so what do you do?

Me: I manage social media for different brands.

Friend: So you play on Facebook all day?

UGH. This happens all the time. My friends aren’t trying to be mean, they just don’t understand what exactly I do. And to be honest, I can’t blame them. It’s easy to think I play on Facebook when they see me online all day. It’s easy to think that when I’m on my phone all the time.

I assure you though, I’m not playing on Facebook all day. In fact, scrolling through my Facebook feed bores me to tears. I’m on social media so often that I’m not really looking at anything specific, I’m looking at the bigger picture. I’m looking for trends, news, popular content and anything newsworthy for my clients.

So here’s my daily social media routine.

7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Wake up and grab my phone. Check Snapchat, Timehop, Instagram and Facebook before I get out of bed.

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Blocked time for client calls, consultations or webinars.

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Update social media numbers for each client’s reports. Make note of each posts reach and recycle content for later use. Make sure that is each post is being published at optimal times for maximized reach. Boost posts and manage ads.

4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Blocked time for reading social media articles/updates and writing blogs.

That’s my typical routine with social media, but that doesn’t include afterhours work. Even though I leave my office, the work continues. I’ve made sure that all client notifications show up on my phone, so that I’m available at a moment’s notice if needed. Even if I’m at dinner, I respond to messages and comments. I’ve been known to check client social media at the dentist. Nights, weekends and holidays are open game as well.

With social media, the work never ends.

No, I don’t play on Facebook all day. I spend a good chunk of my time double checking things, creating and scheduling content and updating analytic reports. So rest assured that a (good) social media manager will handle your accounts with care and precision.